@DavidSchilpp - i try to be entertaining and often out of bounds but if folks are stuck ina rut and i jostle them… oh well
I respect that you’re attempting to work entirely within the system, @WilliamNelson. I agree that in an ideal world, council and district-level resources could support the units effectively without the need to resort to outside sources. However, given how strapped many councils and districts are for personnel and resources, both currently and in some areas chronically, it’s hard for them to provide that level of support. In addition, from personal experience, I’ve learned about many things that were coming down the road (or had already arrived!) through these discussion groups far in advance of when my district staff/volunteers have heard through official channels. It’s served as a mechanism for scouters in better-resourced councils/districts to support those of us who may not be in those areas.
On the one hand, I think that councils/districts being unable to provide this level of support, and subsequently pushing back on national BSA, might raise the chances of national restoring the discussion forums, albeit only slightly (IMHO). On the other hand, the idea of telling someone to ask for support that I strongly suspect will not come, or at least not in a timely fashion, seems like an exercise in both futility and frustration for the scouts and scouters getting that direction. I suspect that it will also undermine our collective credibility as sources of information to send folks to a resource that is not actually available/capable of filling the need (e.g. the issues that arose when BSA discontinued direct volunteer support for Scoutbook and other dig.ital resources).
Anyway, I realize I’m back up on my soapbox, and you’re not the one making the call, @WilliamNelson. You’re just arguing for working entirely within the system, which as I said at the top, I can respect, even when I don’t fully agree with it.
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If you want the program forums back, then ask your SE to petition national. The program teams don’t watch the forums. And the BSA is worried that members will not receive accurate advice here.
Right now the forums are for technical support.
With all due respect I don’t agree. I have found this forum incredibly useful over the years I’ve been here. When bad information has been introduced into these forums, participants with the correct information have been quick to identify. Furthermore, access to answers have been much quicker and in many case virtually instant.
Local Councils frankly are more interested in raising money and starting new charters/recruitment than servicing existing units.
It’s my opinion that negatives views/criticisms that are placed out in the public are a key reason the forums were shut down. Back in the day we called this being sunshine pumpers.
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My nearest roundtable is 45 minutes away and meetings last 1 hour.
It meets once a month.
So, I am going to be on the road for 90 minutes to sit in a 1-hour meeting and have to wait 1 month to get my answer?
And I asked about Zoom options (we did during COVID) and was told no way.
Nope. Instead what so many people will do is either a) try to guess the right answer b) go to Facebook and other absolutely not official websites and try to parse out what is right and wrong.
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Round tables are a ridiculous solution - the same people who would answer on a forum are the same ones instructing at Round tables, or University of Scouting, or sitting at a district event. I have had to correct District and Council staff on issues, when I heard their answers.
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Agreed. They were great 30 years ago before the internet. Now, a lot of the same questions can be answered by much more informed people. It seems to ignore the internet changed things to think otherwise.
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If they are worried about bad advice they should go look at the bsa threads on reddit and Scouter.com. Anonymity breeds bad information.
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I’ve been to every roundtable possible since becoming a Scouter; they have so far been minimally helpful (unless you count learning all of the district gossip), whereas the forums gave me access to so much functional information about how I am supposed to do my duties that I was only limited by my time to read them.
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Here is what I can say from reading the various posts - I think this is a call to action - Yes talk to your SE to complain and get them back up (that will not work) - Those that were active on here step up more locally, to show how to get the right info out there. Be a leader, make change locally. Yes we are all busy (trust me, SUAC does not pay that good), but be the change that needs to happen.
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Yeah, it seems that Nevada Area Council owns scouter.org, but has not updated the certificate lately. Oops!
I wouldn’t even dream of bringing up some of the issues I’ve raised here at roundtable. Not because they’re not relevant or important, but because they’d just get everybody arguing and extend the meeting by who knows how long.
I mean, everybody argues here (right, @Stephen_Hornak? by the way, my uniform is in perfect order :), but at least here folks can choose whether to deal with it or not.
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@JSyler - yes indeed and my uniform might not be up to snuff:-)
I think the solution is simple: we just post our program related questions in an existing forum category. Sure, it might be unorganized, but they have not shut down topics like this one that are not program related. Also, if national truly does not monitor the forums, then they will never know.
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As much as I appreciate the effort and agree with the sentiment, I’d advise against that.
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The internet killed monthly Roundtable in my district and despite the sincere efforts of several dedicated Scouters, they are no longer a viable method of sharing information ore than once or twice a year.
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In my old district we had one unit that had their unit meeting night on the same night. A roundtable online is easier to record and make available to those that cannot attend, as well as online program forums.
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@Bill_W Our Troop meetings have are the same night as roundtable. They have been for years.
Again, the national program teams would like you to reach out to your council. They have seen too much incorrect advice being given out by well intentioned Scouters on Internet forums.
You can reach out to:
- Your commissioner
- Your district committee member for the program elemit you have a question about
- Your council VP of program, advancement chair, or training chair
Councils can contact national if they don’t have the answers.
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But they don’t care about correcting their own incorrect information they publish in official Scouting documents or the terrible information in other sources where people go because councils are too slow to respond. Their thinking makes no sense.
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